1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical equipment and more particularly to an improvement in a tongue depressor.
Conventional tongue depressors comprise an elongated relatively thin length of material (usually wood) having parallel side edges and part circular end surfaces. The present invention is an improvement over conventional tongue depressors by forming an elongated member having a handle end portion and an arcuate curve in its forward end portion which conforms to the arched tongue of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art illuminated tongue depressors have generally comprised light conductive synthetic material longitudinally bent blade portions releasably connected with a handle member providing a source of electrical energy for luminous material and illuminating a throat area.
The most pertinent patents are believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,644 issued Feb. 1, 1972 to Reick for ILLUMINATED SURGICAL SPECULUM, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,798 issued Sep. 25, 1973 to Edinger for SELF ILLUMINATING TONGUE DEPRESSOR AND THE LIKE.
The Reick patent *644 discloses a handle battery and lamp container attached to one end of an elongated longitudinally arcuately curved tongue depressor formed from heat resistance material and having an overlying light transmitting strip with its forward end portion dispersing light laterally when illuminated by a bulb.
The Edinger patent *798 similarly discloses a battery and lamp containing handle member which removably receives an elongated angularly bent tongue cleaner depressor which, when inserted at one end into the handle member, energizes the light to shine toward the forward end of the tongue depressor.
More recent patents generally representing the state-of-the-art, are U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,599 issued Feb. 28, 1989 to Robinson, et al for ILLUMINATING TONGUE DEPRESSOR, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,976 issued Mar. 5, 1991 to Nakagawa for TONGUE DEPRESSOR WITH ILLUMINATING MEANS. Both of these patents disclose a tongue depressor having a handle end portion provided with illuminating means which illuminates a forwardly extending tongue depressor portion formed from supporting material which transmits and radiates light from the illuminating means in the handle.
This invention is believed distinctive over the above named patents by providing a longitudinally arcuately curved tongue depressor containing a battery in its handle portion energizing a lamp embedded in the top surface of the tongue depressor at its forward end portion in which the light rays from the lamp are directed toward the throat area adjacent the forward end of the tongue depressor.